The present invention relates generally to the field of foot analysis, and more specifically, to the fields of automatically measuring foot dimensions, forces, and movements.
It is well known that shoes and feet come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Consequently, in order to provide a particular consumer with a pair of shoes, a shoe retailer must determine that particular consumer's shoe size. If the consumer is unaware of his or her shoe size, the shoe retailer typically measures the consumer's feet to determine the appropriate shoe size. One of the most commonly used devices for measuring feet for fitting shoes is the Branach device. This manual device includes two levers slidably mounted upon a labeled platform for determining the length and width of a particular foot. Since shoes have traditionally been available in men, women, and children sizes, three different types of Branach devices, corresponding to each of these sizing schemes, have been utilized by shoe retailers. The manual nature of the Branach device, as well as the need for using three different devices for men, women, and children, suggest the need for a system which automatically measures all types of feet for fitting shoes.
Various types of automatic feet measuring devices have been developed in the past. Many of these devices are very expensive and time consuming and often utilize complex mechanical moving components which are subject to ordinary shortcomings of moving mechanical parts. Other devices include one or more light sources located to shine light onto the top or bottom of a foot to cast planar outlines of the foot onto light sensitive sensors which are monitored to produce foot length and width measurements. Although length and width measurements are useful and relatively easily obtained from such systems, additional desirable measurements which are difficult or impossible to obtain from such prior systems include, among others, foot height, foot volume, foot shape, and force distribution throughout the foot in a normal stance.
In addition to analyzing feet for fitting shoes, it has also been well known to analyze feet for various medical reasons. Force plates of various designs have previously been used to monitor changes of center of pressure and postural sway for various medical purposes, such as evaluating the effects of age, various neurological disorders (e.g. Parkinson's disease, Epilepsy), drug/alcohol/chemical abuse and use, and various injuries, such as limb, back or traumatic brain injuries, as well as evaluating the need and effect of various surgeries (such as determining how weight is being shifted before and after knee or hip surgery) and vocational rehabilitation. The center of pressure and postural sway objective information is known to be very useful in diagnosing and treating a large variety of medical problems. In addition, static analysis of center of pressure and postural sway has also been linked to predicting falls and a patient's ability to walk without injury. Unfortunately, many of the prior devices are expensive, difficult to use, and often provide little readily useful information. Another medical reason for analyzing feet relates to the processes of prescribing or selecting an orthotic, such as an insole. Such processes are often very subjective, expensive, time-consuming and inaccurate. While it is understood that a primary purpose of a foot sole/insole combination is to distribute forces applied to the foot, such a result is rarely reached without great effort.
There is a need, therefore, in the industry for a method and an apparatus for analyzing feet for these and other related, and unrelated, purposes.